The best cheeses for a holiday spread — festive, impressive cheeses for Christmas and celebrations, and how to build a stunning holiday board.
The holidays call for a generous, impressive cheese spread. Here's a guide to the best cheeses for a holiday spread and how to build a festive cheese board.
Cheese for the Holidays
Cheese is central to holiday celebrations — a grand cheese board is a festive tradition, and the season brings rich, indulgent, and celebratory cheeses. The best holiday cheeses are festive, impressive, and varied, suiting the occasion and pleasing guests. Here's a guide to the best cheeses for a holiday spread, the ideal festive selection, and how to build a stunning, abundant holiday cheese board for Christmas and celebrations.
The Festive Classics
Certain cheeses are holiday icons. Stilton is the quintessential Christmas cheese (rich, mellow blue, classically served with port). Festive Wensleydale with cranberries adds a fruity, seasonal touch. Baked brie or Camembert (warm, molten, topped with cranberry or honey) is a festive showpiece. Vacherin Mont d'Or (the seasonal spruce-wrapped winter cheese) is perfect for the season. These festive classics suit the holiday mood — rich, celebratory, and traditional. So festive classics like Stilton, cranberry Wensleydale, baked brie, and Vacherin Mont d'Or are top holiday cheeses, capturing the season's spirit. They're essential for a traditional holiday spread.
Building Variety
For a great holiday spread, include variety across styles and intensities so there's something for everyone. Beyond the festive classics, add: a sharp aged cheddar (flavorful, crowd-pleasing), a nutty Alpine cheese (Gruyère or Comté, rich and satisfying), a creamy cheese (brie or a triple-cream, luxurious), and perhaps a goat cheese (tangy variety). This variety, alongside the festive blue (Stilton) and fruited cheese (cranberry Wensleydale), makes a balanced, abundant board. So build variety with an aged cheddar, an Alpine cheese, a creamy cheese, and a goat cheese, alongside the festive classics. A varied selection ensures a generous, crowd-pleasing holiday board.
Festive Accompaniments
Holiday cheeses shine with festive accompaniments. Include dried fruit (figs, apricots, dates, cranberries), nuts (walnuts, pecans), fig jam and chutney, honey, fresh fruit (grapes, pears), crackers and oatcakes, and cured meats. Festive touches like pomegranate seeds, cranberries, and rosemary add seasonal color. These accompaniments complement the cheeses and add abundance and festivity. So surround the cheeses with festive accompaniments — dried fruit, nuts, jam, honey, fresh fruit, crackers — garnished with seasonal color. These complete the holiday board, making it abundant, inviting, and festive.
Festive Drink Pairings
Pair holiday cheeses with festive drinks. Port with Stilton (the classic). Champagne or sparkling wine with creamy cheeses (and celebration). Mulled wine with rich cheeses. Whiskey with aged cheeses (cozy winter pairing). Robust reds with bold cheeses. These festive pairings enhance the holiday spread, matching the season's drinks to the cheeses. So pair the cheeses with festive drinks — port with Stilton, sparkling wine with creamy cheeses, mulled wine or whiskey with rich and aged cheeses. The right drinks complete the holiday cheese experience, making it celebratory and delicious.
Building a Stunning Holiday Board
For the best holiday cheese spread: select festive classics (Stilton, cranberry Wensleydale, baked brie) plus variety (aged cheddar, Alpine cheese, creamy cheese, goat cheese); surround them with festive accompaniments (dried fruit, nuts, jam, honey, crackers) garnished with seasonal color (cranberries, rosemary, pomegranate); pair with festive drinks (port, sparkling wine, mulled wine); and arrange abundantly on a generous board, served at room temperature. Make it a bountiful centerpiece. So build a varied, festive board with classic and varied cheeses, abundant accompaniments, seasonal garnish, and festive drinks. With the right cheeses and presentation, your holiday cheese spread will be stunning and memorable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What cheeses are best for a holiday spread?
Festive classics like Stilton (with port), cranberry Wensleydale, baked brie, and Vacherin Mont d'Or, plus variety — aged cheddar, an Alpine cheese (Gruyère/Comté), a creamy cheese, and a goat cheese.
How do I build a festive cheese board?
Select festive and varied cheeses, surround them with accompaniments (dried fruit, nuts, jam, honey, crackers), garnish with seasonal color (cranberries, rosemary), pair with festive drinks, and arrange abundantly.
What drinks pair with holiday cheeses?
Port with Stilton (classic), Champagne or sparkling wine with creamy cheeses, mulled wine with rich cheeses, and whiskey with aged cheeses — festive pairings that enhance the holiday spread.